8.3.1 ABSTRACT: GENETIC MECHANISMS OF CANCER The Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer program, lead by David Largaespada, has 40 members, representing ten departments and three schools. As of September 30,2007, these members have a total of $10.9 million in peer-reviewed, funded research projects for the current budget period. Since June 2003, their research has resulted in 234 publications, of which 17% were intra-prograrnmatic and 15% were inter-programmatic. The Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer research program focuses on gene discovery, stability, expression, and transfer. - . . ' ; . . ... . Dr. Largaespada is the Margaret Harvey Schering Land Grant Chair in Cancer Genetics. He is the director of the Mouse Genetics Laboratory shared resource of the Cancer Center. As chair of the Rodent Advisory Committee, he plays a role in advising the Academic Health Center on issues related to mouse and rat work at the University of Minnesota. He is a member of the NCI-sponsored Mouse Models of Human Cancer Consortium. The program also includes scientists with leadership positions in clinical research. Dr. Robert Kratzke, who is the Vice Chair of the Respiratory Committee of the Cancer and Leukemia Group B T (CALGB), as well as Chair of the Respiratory Working Group (RWG) for Correlative Sciences. Dr. Robert Madoff is on the gastrointestinal subcommittee of the CALGB and board of directors of the Minnesota Colorectal Cancer Initiative. Other program members have important leadership roles within the University of Minnesota. Dr. Brian Van Ness is the chair of the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development. Dr. Scott Selleck is the director of the Developmental Biology Center. Dr. Harry Orr js the Tulloch Professor of Genetics, the director of the Institute of Human Genetics (IHG), and a Special Advisor to the Dean of the Medical School on basic science matters. Dr. Jaime Modiano is the director of the Animal Cancer Center in the Veterinary Medical Center and holds the Al and June Perlman Endowed Chair in Animal Oncology.